Istanbul porters back tradition - 3rd December 2021

Before dawn, hundreds of men gather in the streets around the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. These men are here as porters, a profession which dates back to Ottoman times.

The men transfer bundles of clothes and fabrics, often weighing up to 200 kilogrammes, along the narrow lanes and up steps to reach shopkeepers and craftspeople who rely on their services.

Kamil Beldek is a shop owner who admits they cannot do without them.

Kamil Beldek: "They provide logistical support so that the products we sell here reach our customers. They bring the products to our store here, and for that reason they are a part of us that we cannot give up on."

However, numerous merchants have moved from the bazaar's restrictive streets to more accessible areas, so people are anxious that the custom will disappear with them.

Porter Mehmet Toktas, like his uncle before him, is a porter. He believes that young people today are incapable of doing such challenging work.

Mehmet Toktas: "If someone came to me and said they want to do this job, I would tell them they can't. The young people today can't do this work. It's really heavy. This job is heavy."

But urban historian Necdet Sakaoglu, who has documented the role of the porter since its highpoint in the 19th century, asserts that every generation of porters has said the same.

Necdet Sakaoglu: "This has been said in every era. In 1835, if you had asked the porters, they would have also said that it was the end of this profession. They would have said 'this profession cannot continue to exist'. It's a way of blocking entry [into the profession], a way of not losing their job."

There are strict rules amongst porters, who each work a tiny section of the bazaar, keeping their own tradespeople. Although there are concerns about this ancient tradition, Sakaoglu is convinced it will remain, out of necessity.

Necdet Sakaoglu: "Even today there are a lot of porters, because in Istanbul, because of the structure of the city, the structure of its trade, but also because of its topography, porters are a necessity. The city cannot function without porters."